If you are asking yourself this question, I’ll be more than happy to help. In this article, we’ll look at what you need to do after learning the basics of programming.
1. Learn Git and Github
Git and Github are what you need to ‘save’ your project online and work on them even on another computer.
I can’t remember how many projects I “lost” without saving them to Github. Back then, I didn’t know what was Git and Github and I want to help you avoid this mistake.
Yes, building a project is great. But what if you want to work on it let’s say in 2 months on another laptop? Yes, Github on the rescue.
As a developer, you will often work with other developers. And GitHub provides a way to work with anyone and allow others to contribute to your projects as well.
There are plenty of resources out there. But I recommend the Git course on Codecademy.
2. Build some projects
You have the tools, you know the basics. Congratulations. Yet, completing some tutorials doesn’t mean you “know” these languages. To implement what you learned, I recommend you build your projects.
It can be as easy as replicating a website or making a to-do list. Anyway, make your project and…use Github while doing so.
3. Learn a backend programming language
After building some projects, you can either:
- Learn a front-end framework like React, Angular or Vue JS
- Learn a backend language. It can be PHP, Python, Node JS, or Ruby On Rails. Learning one of these languages will make you more valuable as a developer. Plus you become what we call a full-stack developer. See more about how to become a full-stack developer in this article.
4. Learn SQL
SQL or structured query language is a language for managing databases. And as a developer, you will work most of the time with databases (if you are a full-stack or back-end developer).
By learning how databases work, you become more valuable to the marketplace. And you can even specialize in that subject.
5. Learn algorithms and data structures
To become a good developer, you need to be a good problem solver. And that’s why you need to learn about algorithms and data structures. The more tools you have to solve a problem, the more valuable you will be.
Saving time and space are two important entities for any company you work with. And knowing algorithms and data structures will help you solve complex problems. If you want to horn your problem-solving skills, I recommend these websites:
